Author Topic: Choose me a velomobile!  (Read 18097 times)

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #25 on: 12 January, 2014, 06:43:21 pm »
Great video from Vince!

My cycle clothing is all wrong now (red jacket, red hat, red everything to match Alfie). Now I need purple.
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #26 on: 12 January, 2014, 06:59:27 pm »
The Panzerlenkung ('tank steering') took me a little while to get used to, and it's quite sensitive (whereas Wunja had no problem). This is probably as I hopped straight off Alfie and into the Versatile. With Alfie if you want to turn left you move both hands to the left; in the Versatile if you want to turn left you pull your left hand towards you and push your right hand away, which is a bit different. But I guess I'll be used to it after 10 more miles. It has a nice, tight turning circle for a VM - seemed pretty similar to Alfie, which is good.

Here are some more pics:

In the background, Wunja's lovely Genesis Croix de Fer. Beautiful looking bike and totally silent when freewheeling.







Barney Rubble!




And the view from the cockpit - Rotterdam with Wunja!
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #27 on: 12 January, 2014, 07:12:15 pm »
Ah, that's big enough for me to see the colour of now.  Shiny!

Looks nice and easy to get in and out of, too.

Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #28 on: 13 January, 2014, 10:37:35 am »
Coolest velomobile on the forum  :thumbsup:
the slower you go the more you see

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #29 on: 13 January, 2014, 10:40:00 am »
Well there aren't exactly that many - Yanto's and RichForrest's and Arallsopp's dead one (which is probably cooler, although dead). Or does Aushiker have one too...

The coolness of my one is that it is pink/purple. The Quests and WAWs look and go faster...
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #30 on: 14 January, 2014, 09:22:17 am »
Looks cool !  Good buy !

Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #31 on: 14 January, 2014, 12:04:17 pm »
I can't wait to have a go!  :thumbsup:

But I would have preferred to have to pedal rather than run!  ::-)


Is this how the actors trained to use the Dalek's?  ???
I can bring a sink plunger if it will help.  :-*

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #32 on: 14 January, 2014, 12:06:50 pm »
Very cool.
Getting there...

RichForrest

  • T'is I, Silverback.
    • Ramblings of a silverback cyclist
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #33 on: 14 January, 2014, 12:19:47 pm »
Well there aren't exactly that many - Yanto's and RichForrest's and Arallsopp's dead one (which is probably cooler, although dead). Or does Aushiker have one too...

The coolness of my one is that it is pink/purple. The Quests and WAWs look and go faster...

I've not got one  :(
Yanto, Lee, Arellcat and Andy are on here. Ian and Rob may also be on here but I don't know their user names.

Rich

woollypigs

  • Mr Peli
    • woollypigs
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #34 on: 14 January, 2014, 12:26:29 pm »
I can bring a sink plunger if it will help.  :-*
That would be the best ever feature on a ride like this :)
Current mood: AARRRGGGGHHHHH !!! #bollockstobrexit

Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #35 on: 14 January, 2014, 01:08:07 pm »
http://youtu.be/WG8_fqyi7fE

Seemed to heel over a lot when cornering - is there suspension?
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #36 on: 14 January, 2014, 01:16:17 pm »
Yes there is suspension. It didn't feel like it was particularly leaning although I also noticed it when watching the video. It felt safe although another owner has warned me not to go too beserk with sharp cornering at speed as it's a narrower track than my trike and also a higher centre of gravity.

I'm very risk-averse and don't like things that feel unsafe and this didn't, fortunately.
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #37 on: 14 January, 2014, 01:22:09 pm »
Do the lights and indicator thingies work?
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #38 on: 14 January, 2014, 01:29:48 pm »
Yes.

There are two settings for the headlights (bright and brighter) although as we only tried them out in daylight it was hard to tell. They have proper big switches. There's also a little thumb switch on the right hand side steering joystick thingie which enables you to flash the headlights. The other button on that joystick makes the ridiculous horn sound (very high-pitched sound, like trainers slipping on a floor, which no-one pays any attention to).

The indicators are worked by left and right buttons on the left hand steering joystick, and they also make a noise in the cockpit so you know they're working. We checked them all and all work.

The rear light is on the whole time the trike's electrics are powered up, although Wunja and I felt that it might need a heftier light.

It doesn't have brake lights like some VMs and I'm quite interested in looking into fitting some kind of braking sensor as I think that's useful.
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #39 on: 14 January, 2014, 01:43:44 pm »
The rear light is on the whole time the trike's electrics are powered up, although Wunja and I felt that it might need a heftier light.
The rear light looks like one of these. If it is you could replace it with one of these, as seen on my galaxy and pompino. The 4D isn't particularly good but the seculite is excellent!  :thumbsup:

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #40 on: 14 January, 2014, 02:17:50 pm »
I can bring a sink plunger if it will help.  :-*
That would be the best ever feature on a ride like this :)
It would also have a practical application of exterminating operating the button on the crossing lights
216km from Marsh Gibbon

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #41 on: 14 January, 2014, 02:37:12 pm »
It doesn't have brake lights like some VMs and I'm quite interested in looking into fitting some kind of braking sensor as I think that's useful.

There are two approaches to this:

1) Detect the brake being applied:  This is a solved problem for e-bikes (in order to tell the controller to cut motor power or apply regenerative braking), and usually takes the form of a magnet/reed switch arrangement that is built into (or retrofitted to) the brake lever.  You can also get optical sensors that fit inline on the brake cable.

2) Detect the vehicle slowing down: Measure the speed of a wheel, either using a traditional reed-switch speed sensor, or by measuring the frequency of a hub dynamo's output.  Electronics decide when the rate of deceleration is sufficient to engage the light.  Some B&M dynamo rear lights have this as a feature (getting brighter as the bike slows down).


I built a brake light using method 2) on my hybrid some years ago.  It works about as well as the B&M solutions.  The problem is that they're pretty much useless in the real world.  Mainly because nobody expects a bicycle to have a brake light, so don't interpret it as such (probably not an issue on a velomobile), but also because there's always going to be a point where you're pedalling hard at lowish cadence and the spurts of speed cause the light to flash.  Additionally, if you're using a magnet based sensor, there's a worst-case lag of 1 wheel revolution before the light comes on (vs 1/28th of a wheel rotation with a dynamo).

Therefore I recommend directly sensing the operation of the brakes themselves.  They'll behave the way people expect brake lights to.

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #42 on: 14 January, 2014, 02:42:59 pm »
Are there chips that have gyro or inertia sensing that could do the job?
216km from Marsh Gibbon

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #43 on: 14 January, 2014, 03:13:05 pm »
Are there chips that have gyro or inertia sensing that could do the job?

Yes.  They'd have the same problems as sensing the deceleration via the wheel in terms of flashing between pedal strokes, but would be less laggy and make for a neater package (and more complicated software).

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #44 on: 14 January, 2014, 05:00:50 pm »
With the weight of the VM there is less likely for the low-cadence-sudden-speed-variation thingie as it it rather a slow start, slow deceleration kind of machine.

I think Delthebike has one of the lights that gets brighter when it slows down (I have a vague memory of looking at this on his bike) so perhaps it's what he highlighted in an earlier post.
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #45 on: 14 January, 2014, 05:28:37 pm »
I think Delthebike has one of the lights that gets brighter when it slows down (I have a vague memory of looking at this on his bike) so perhaps it's what he highlighted in an earlier post.
Not this thread AH. The two lights I linked to are just LED lights. The rear light on my galaxy is this one but I think it'd be too wide for the rear of the Purple Panzer!  8)
Does it have a dynamo?

Lila might be a good name.  ::-)

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #46 on: 14 January, 2014, 05:38:44 pm »
No dynamo, it has drum brakes up front.

Lila makes me think of German chocolate 'Lila Pause' but also my friend's dog Lola.
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk


Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #47 on: 14 January, 2014, 06:23:55 pm »
The Versatile's power supply is 12 volts, so it might be worth looking at motor cycle after-market lights.
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216km from Marsh Gibbon

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #48 on: 14 January, 2014, 06:47:14 pm »
No dynamo, it has drum brakes up front.

Lila makes me think of German chocolate 'Lila Pause' but also my friend's dog Lola.
The Purple Cow! Which could, but almost certainly shouldn't, be a name for your velomobile.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Auntie Helen

  • 6 Wheels in Germany
Re: Choose me a velomobile!
« Reply #49 on: 14 January, 2014, 06:52:15 pm »
My blog on cycling in Germany and eating German cake – http://www.auntiehelen.co.uk